"My book does not pretend to scholarship, only to a desire to help the average reader who sees all his works available in paperback and is scared more of their content then their price. The appearance of difficulty is part of Joyce's big joke; the profundities are usually expressed in good round Dublin terms; Joyce's heroes are humble men. If there was ever a writer for the people, Joyce was that writer. But there is a need for the kind of pilot-commentary I attempt to provide. After nearly fifty years of reading Joyce it seems only right that I should pass on what I have learned of his methods to those who come fresh to his riches."

Anthony Burgess's own foreword to his work on Joyce establishes the purpose and the tone of his study. Vigorous, humorous and perceptive, his commentary is an excellent introduction and a valuable companion to the reading of Joyce.